Hand fertilizer-dropper



(No Model.)

A. L. JOHNSON. HAND FERTILIZER DROPPER.

No. 468,346. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

Joi zz ary.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. JOHNSON, OF BONNIEVILLE, KENTUCKY.

HAND FERTlLlZER-DROPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,346, dated February9, 1892.

Application filed May 23, 1891- Serial No. 393,886. (No model.\

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. J OHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at 13011- nieville, in the county of Hart and State ofKentucky, have invented a new and useful Hand Fertilizer-Dropper, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fertilizer-distributers of thatclass which areoperated by hand, and it has for its object to construct-a device ofthis class which shall be simple, convenient, and easily operated and bymeans of which a regulated quantity of fertilizing material may bedropped at each operation.

A further object of the invention is to so construct a device that itmay be manipulated by the operator while walking erect and withoutbending over, provision being also made for conducting the fertilizingmaterial direct to the ground at the point where it is needed andwithout danger of being blown away in windy weather.

\Vith these ends in view the invention consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts which will behereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a side View of .afertilizer-distributer constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig.2 is a vertical sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspectivedetail view showing the lower end of the hopper with the conducting tubeor barrel removed, so as to show the construction of the cutoff ordropping mechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing amodifiedconstruction of one of the cut-01f plates.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken horizontally through the barrel and theextension-tube on the line 5 5 in Fig. l.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

1 designates a hopper or receptacle having a hinged cover 2 and aspring-catch 3 for holding the said cover closed. The bottom 4 of saidreceptacle is concave or dish-shaped, and it is provided with a centralscrewthreaded collar or bushing 5, in which is mounted thedownwardlyextending tube 6. The latter is provided with alaterally-extending arm or bracket 7, to the outer end of which ispivoted a lever 8, at the upper and lower ends of which are hinged thecut-off plates '9 and 10, which consist of rounded plates extending intoslots 11, formed in the side of the tube 6. The latter is made ofsuitable dimensions to hold between the cut-off plates 9 and 10 suchquantity of fertilizing material as it may be desired to drop at eachoperation.

Between the upper end of the lever S and the side of the tube (1' isinterposed a spring 12, whereby the upper end of said lever is normallythrown in an outward direction from said tube, thereby closing the lowerend of the tube by the cut-cit plate 10, while the upper end of saidtube communicates with the hopper, the cut-off plate 9 being normallywithdrawn from its slot 11.

The upper end of the lever 8 is provided with a cross-piece 13, to whichare connected the ends of the arms of a yoke 14, which straddles thetube 6. Suitably secured to one side of the hopper 1 is a handle 15, tothe under side of which is pivoted a lever 16, the free end of which isconnected by a wire, chain, or

the yoke let. A spring 18 is interposed between the handle and lever 16to force the latter normally in a downward direction,and said lever isprovided with a downwardly-ex tending arm 19, confined in a staple 20,which serves as a guide and stop combined.

To the under side of the bottom of the hopper 1 is secured a funnel 21,having a downwardly-extending tube or barrel 22. The up per edge of saidfunnel is provided with a slot 23 for the passage of the flexibleconnection 17. To one side of the tube or valve 22 is attached a spring24, having a series of perforations 25. An extension-tube 26, whichslides upon the lower end of the barrel is provided with alaterally-extending lug 27, adapted to engage any one of theperforations 25 in the spring 24, whereby the extension-tube may besecured in various positions, thus lengthening or shortening the barrelor conducting-tube, as may be desired. The extension-tube 2G is providednear its lower end with wires 28, arranged horizontally and crossingeach other, for the purpose of scattering the fertilizing material whenthe latter is dropped.

The operation of this invention will be other suitable flexibleconnection, as 17, with readily understood from the foregoingdescription,taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed. Thefertilizing material which is to be distributed is placed in the hopperand will pass from thence into the upper end of the tube 6, the lowerend of which is normally closed by the cut-off 10. By grasping thehandle and pressing upon the lever 16 the operator may cause the lever 8to swing upon its fulcrum against the tension of the spring 12, thusopening the lower end of the tube 6 and closing its upper end andpermitting the contents of saidtube to drop through the funnel 21,barrel 22, and through the extension 26 of the latter, being thusconveyed to the desired point. WVhile the contents of the tube 6 arebeing dropped the upper end of said tube is closed by the cut-off 9.When the pressure upon the lever 16 is released, the pressure of thespring 12 will automatically restore the lever 8 and on toffs 9 and 10to their normal positions.

It will be seen that the extension-tube or barrel may be readilyadjusted to suit the height of the operator, and that the lower end ofthe extension-tube may easily be pointed at the exact spot where it isdesired to deliver the fertilizing material, thus enabling the latter tobe dropped or distributed easily, quickly, and Without hard ordisagreeable labor on the part of the operator.

This device maybe conveniently used for dropping various kinds ofseedssuch as corn, peas, sorghum, and the 1ikeby substituting for theupper cut-off 9 a cut-off plate such as shown at in Fig. 4 of thedrawings and which has a pointed end, as shown at 31, which enables itto to pass more readily between the seeds than the rounded cutoff 9.(Shown in the remaining figures of the drawings.) I reserve the right tothis and to any other modifications to which recourse maybe had withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. The measuring-tube, beingconnected detachably with the bushing in the bottom of the hopper, mayat any time be readily detached for the substitution of one of adiiterent size.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- The combination ofa hopper having a discharge-tube, cut-oft mechanism arranged in thetube, an L-shaped handle secured to the hopper, a bell-crank lever 16,fulcrumed at its angle in the angle of the lever and having itshorizontal arm connected with the cut-off mechanism, and a springinterposed between the horizontal arms of the handle and the lever 16,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT L. JOHNSON.

Witnesses WILEY J. MAoY, II. A. WATKINs.

